Chicken and Dumplings

I have been making this recipe for years and it is always a big hit!  It is more of a chicken stew with dumpling, but it is oh so yummy and veggie packed.  It warms your entire soul and it is probably the first recipe I made which made me really love cooking.  I have adapted it from Rachael Ray's 30 minute Chicken and Dumplings found HERE.

This is super easy and guaranteed to please anyone you serve it to.  It is also the recipe that made me fall in love with Rachael Ray.  Her cooking style is my cooking style to a T.  A palm full of this, couple swishes of that, and twice around the pan ;)  My grandma taught me to cook and I really don't think she owned a single measuring device.  I always try to include measurements because when you are learning to cook it can be overwhelming without real measures.  With that said just remember everything can be fixed or adjusted to your liking.  Soups, stews, and chili's are probably my worst dishes to explain because I literally dump whatever I have or need to use up in the pot.  

Mmmmm....now onto the good stuff!

Chicken and Dumpling Stew

1-1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced 

1 TBS olive oil

2 TBS butter

3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced

2 cups carrots, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 cup celery, diced

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

1 TBS poultry seasoning

2 TBS flour

1 quart chicken broth

1 box Jiffy biscuit mix

1/2 cup warm water

4 tsp dried parsley

1 cup frozen peas

• Heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat and then add vegetable (except peas)and bay leaf and cook until tender (about 5 minutes)
• Season with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning
• Add flour and cook for 2 minutes
• Stir in broth, bring to a boil, and add chicken
• Simmer on medium-low for about 20-30 minutes or until chicken is done
• Meanwhile combine water, biscuit mix, and parsley until combined
• When chicken is done drop biscuits using a tablespoon spacing evenly into pot
• Cover and steam dumplings for about 10 minutes
• Remove cover and gently stir chicken without disturbing dumplings and add peas then serve (the peas will cook almost instantly)

I will add one tip that I learned from Rachael Ray making this dish.  Cut your veggies small and they will cook faster, but if time isn't an issue cut them bigger and just simmer longer.  Either way this dish tastes like it has been cooking all day long.

Seriously one of the best dishes and I know I probably hold it much more dear to my heart because it gave me the love I have today for cooking.  Such a simple dish, but years ago when this was my first dish without coming from a box it was intimidating.  Now I can prepare it with my eyes closed ;)  

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